New Mood – New Nutraceutical Composition

I just came across New MOOD. New Mood is a supplement made by Onnit. Onnit claims that New Mood improves your mood and reduces your mental stress. Sounds awesome, right? I think so, especially because I am interested in the patentability of nutraceuticals and nootropics.

After a quick look at the New Mood technology, my two big questions are as follows:
1. Could Onnit patent this?
2. Does New Mood really work?

1. Patenting a combination of known, naturally occurring ingredients

From what I can tell, New Mood is a combination of known, naturally occurring ingredients. Normally, so-called “products of nature” are not patentable. (A product of nature is not new. A product of nature is not “man made.”)
However, in the case of New Mood, the naturally occurring ingredients are combined into a specific formula that is NOT found in nature. Accordingly, it is “man made” and (potentially) new.

2. Does New Mood Provide Unexpected Results?

It’s possible that the answer to question #2 determines the answer to the question of patentability. Here’s what I mean: If New Mood really is a “gamechanger,” like Onnit claims, then that “game changing” achievement could help them earn a patent on the composition.

Provided that the New Mood composition is “new,” then the question of patentability would probably turn on “obviousness.” Here, I think the question of patentability would depend on whether this particular combination provides some sort of unexpected results when compared to the known properties of the ingredients.

I’m eager to learn more about this invention. Is it a”game changing” technological advance or a clever marketing campaign? The former is probably patentable. The latter is probably not.